Russ
Hopcroft
University of Alaska Fairbanks
rrhopcroft@alaska.edu

Russ Hopcroft is a Professor at the University of Alaska's Institute of Marine Science in Fairbanks, AK. He grew up fascinated by aquatic life (and Jacques Cousteau specials), pursuing the sciences during his education. Dr. Hopcroft received his Masters degree in 1988, and his Ph.D. in 1997 from the University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada. The focus of his graduate research was on marine plankton ecology in the tropical waters surrounding Jamaica, West Indies. From 1997 to 1999, Dr, Hopcroft was a Post-doctoral Fellow at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI). At MBARI he was heavily involved in the use of ROVs as well as traditional oceanographic surveys to study the oceans. He joined UAF in 2000.

Dr. Hopcroft pursues a broad array of research interests, concentrating on the “lower” planktonic trophic levels that ultimately shape the structure of all aquatic communities. His research focuses on the composition, production and energy flow of pelagic ecosystems, and better methods to explore these topics. Over the past decade he has been heavily involved in the Census of Marine Life. Although he continues to work globally, his current research focuses on the Gulf of Alaska and the Arctic Ocean. Increasingly his research involves long-term observations directed toward understanding how climate variability influences pelagic ecosystems.

Dr. Hopcroft is leading the Controlling Mechanisms for Nutrients, Plankton and Larval Fishes aspect of the Gulf of Alaska Project.